PATHOLOGICAL AND MORPHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF TESTICULAR PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC PROSTATE-CANCER FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH EITHER THE ANTIANDROGEN CASODEX (ZM176,334) OR BILATERAL ORCHIECTOMY

Casodex is an orally active non-steroidal antiandrogen that is highly selective for androgen receptors in animals and man. It is indicated f or the non-surgical treatment of advanced prostate cancer in man. The present open controlled study in 13 Casodex-treated and 21 orchidectom y-alone (control) patients addressed the hypothesis that chronic admin istration of antiandrogens will result in Leydig cell hyperplasia as a result of feedback inhibition of the pituitary resulting in increased luteinising hormone (LH) stimulation of Leydig cells. Although Casode x has been shown to produce a moderate rise in circulating plasma test osterone concentration on chronic treatment in prostate cancer patient s, a controlled histopathological and morphometric assessment of the t estis following orchidectomy in relapsed Casodex patients showed no ef fect on Leydig cell populations compared with an orchidectomy alone (c ontrol) group. No evidence for induction of Leydig cell hypertrophy or hyperplasia as a result of chronic oral administration of 50 mg Casod ex daily was obtained in this study.